Posts Tagged ‘Basketball’

College basketball is a game of tradition. Fans line up days before a big game to make sure they get good seats, they do the same chants, wave their arms in the same way and cheer the same way all in an effort to propel their team to victory. The food fans eat is also a big part of the tradition, whether before the game, at it or after it.

There is one small problem, though, with college basketball food traditions: the weather. It’s cold outside and, while football breeds legendary tailgating and outdoor eating, college basketball fans are stuck indoors. Fortunately, the basketball arena itself or your local watering hole, restaurant or sports bar is there to be the cornerstone of your basketball eating traditions. Here are just a few of the more popular food destinations in great basketball cities.

Free State Brewery — Lawrence, Kansas

Free State is a local microbrewery in Lawrence that’s almost always packed full of hungry and thirsty Jayhawks. Known across eastern Kansas for its excellent ales, including the hoppy Ad Astra ale, Free State has been a Lawrence hangout for decades. It’s located on one end of Massachusetts Street, a five-block area in Lawrence filled with restaurants, bars and eclectic stores, making it a wonderful place to grab a good dinner and a beer before catching a bus to campus, cheering the Jayhawks to another home victory and then returning for a postgame celebration.

Eskimo Joe’s — Stillwater, Oklahoma

Eskimo Joe’s is an institution in Stillwater with a national reputation because of its simple, but always recognizable T-shirts with the Eskimo logo and sled dog logo. Eskimo Joe’s is a multistory, multibar, multi-TV eating-and-drinking establishment that is perfect for Cowboy fans to get to before, during or after the game. The food is amazing, the drinks cool and the merchandise is legendary. Game days usually feature food and drink specials, and the atmosphere gives Cowboys and Cowgirls plenty of reasons to stay and party long after the drinking is over.

KFC YUM! Center — Louisville, Kentucky

Perhaps eating KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut during a game isn’t the most gourmet of food traditions. Still, when you’re at a stadium named after the YUM! brands (the owners of KFC, Pizza Hut, etc.) you know that you’ll be able to eat well at one of the stadium’s concession stands which will sell you a Taco Bell taco, a Pizza Hut pizza, etc. Plus, KFC YUM! Center is fairly unique in that not a lot of basketball arenas are sponsored by large food concerns. At the very least, the presence of so many YUM! foods means you’ll never have to eat stale nachos and that weird yellow cheese.

Players Sports Bar — San Diego, California

Players tops the list of the best sports bars in California, which is no small feat given the huge number of places where one can catch a game in the Golden State. However, San Diego gets high marks because of its proximity to one of the best emerging college basketball programs in the nation (San Diego State University). Players, though, gets high marks not for its local clientele, but for the fact it always keeps some of its large number of TV screens tuned to games from the Universities of Missouri, Texas, Illinois, and North Carolina, giving visitors and people who move to San Diego a little taste of home. Try their fried green beans and a burger when you drop in.

Walk-On’s — Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Located within stumbling distance of LSU’s Pete Maravich Center, Walk-On’s is a local chain of sports bars named after three LSU walk-ons (two of who happen to be the bars’ owners.) Walk-On’s is perfect for getting some postgame grub because of its proximity to campus and because it prides itself on being a center of food and fun for all LSU sports fans. Some of the fun may not be of the family-friendly variety, but that doesn’t mean that the adventure seekers and college-students-at-heart won’t find a great meal at the place voted Best Sports Bar by ESPN.

Gone are the days when all a basketball player needed to do was to lace up a pair of no-frills Chuck Taylor All Stars and run down the court to play the game. Basketball shoes have gone a long way since then. Ever since Earvin Magic Johnson and Larry Bird revived the National Basketball Association with their team-first style of play characterizing the intense rivalry of their Lakers and Celtic teams, the technology behind basketball shoes have grown by leaps and bounds.

Converse initially ruled the roost, with Magic, Bird and Sixers star Julius Erving endorsing the brand. Even Michael Jordan sported a Converse when he first rose to national prominence by leading his North Carolina Tar Heels to the NCAA championship in 1981. Half a decade later, Jordan started endorsing the Nike brand. Suddenly, basketball shoes had air or gel underneath it to help lessen the impact of constant jumping and running, and design was further improved to help support a player’s ankle and soles.

All these improvements come at a price. Combined with the collectible factor of the shoes, some may fetch incredible amounts. Here are the top ten most expensive basketball shoes in the world.

1. Air Jordan I – $25,000

Air Jordan I

The Jordan I had two versions. The original had a red and black design that was banned by the NBA as the rules state that shoes must have some white on them. Jordan loved the Peter Moore-designed shoes, however, and insisted on using it during games. As a result, he got fined $5,000 each game he would play with the disallowed sneakers. Jordan and Nike eventually relented and replaced the design with a red, black and white combination. A black and metallic gold version was released in March 1985 in Asia. Only 12 pairs were created and these now cost $25,000.

2. Air Mag – $12,000

Air Mag

In 1989, the sequel of the smash hit Back to the Future was released. Michael J. Fox, the star of the movie, sported a pair of futuristic sneakers in the film. That pair is the Nike Air Mag. Nike eventually released it, though only 20 pairs were made. Michael J. Fox had previously appeared as a basketball player in the 1985 movie Teen Wolf, and he has been spotted watching the New York Knicks at the Madison Square Garden. Still, he is not a professional basketball player. Yet, the shoe that he made famous is the second most expensive pair of basketball shoes today.

3. Air Jordan V – $10,000

Air Jordan V

This featured a reflective tongue and clear rubber soles. It is also the first shoe that sported lace locks, thus allowing the user to easily strap the shoe. The mid sole has shark teeth shapes, which were probably copied from World War 2 fighter planes where Hatfiled drew inspiration. A version with the number 23 printed at the back in black and metallic silver was created in February 1990 specifically for Jordan and they now cost $10,000. A retail version was later released without the number 23.

4. Air Jordan I – $8,000

Air Jordan I

A pair combining metallic white and metallic silver was released in March 1985. It had pearlized leather and only 1,200 were created.

5. Air Jordan VI – $7,200

Air Jordan VI

This is the last of the Air Jordans with the Nike Air logo. It featured reinforcement materials in the toe area, two holes in the tongue and molded heel to protect the Achilles tendon. It came in five different color combinations, namely black/infrared, white/infrared, white/carmine black, white/sport blue and off white/maroon. It was the shoe Jordan used when he and the Bulls won the championship against the Lakers. The white/carmine black version now fetches $7,200, as it was the color Jordan used during the 1992 Olympics that featured the original Dream Team.

6. Air Jordan III – $4,500

Air Jordan III

When the original designer of Jordan I, Peter Moore, was let go by Nike, Jordan almost went with them. He decided to stay however after seeing Air Jordan III, the first Air Jordan designed by Tinker Hatfield. It featured the now iconic Jumpman logo, an air unit at the heel and leather finish. Jordan went on to have a stellar year, winning a memorable Slam Dunk contest against Dominique Wilkins, grabbing the All Star Game MVP award the following day, and at the end of the year, bagging Defensive Player of the Year honor.

7. Adidas KB8 Selection – $3,000

Adidas KB8 Selection

It was named KB8, in honor of Kobe Bryant’s jersey number. The shoe was later renamed Crazy 8 after Bryant left Adidas in 2002. Bryant is also sporting a new number now, ditching his old number 8 for 24. Only 2 pairs of the golden shoe were made and they were intended for the 1998 Slam Dunk contest. Waning interest in the contest forced its cancellation, however, and Bryant never got the chance to wear the shoe.

8. Air Jordan XI – $2,700

Air Jordan XI

Jordan first used this pair in 1995 when he made a comeback in the middle of the season after a brief fling with minor league baseball. Though he had several memorable games that season, particularly the buzzer beater against the Atlanta Hawks in just his fourth game back, and the 55-point game against archrival New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden, the Bulls fell short that year after losing to the Orlando Magic in the playoff. With the condura nylon top and carbon fiber plates allowing a lighter weight and better torque, Jordan used it again the following season. In his first full season back, the Bulls regained the title. He then used the shoes in his movie Space Jam with the number 45, his number in the season when he came out of retirement, printed at the back.

9. Air Force I Chamber of Fears – $2,500

Air Force I Chamber of Fears

The original Air Force I was created in 1982 and have been tagged as the most influential sneakers of all time. In 2005, a black, red and gold version was released, with half going to Asia and the rest remaining in the US. It is only available in auctions or as giveaway items.

10. Air Force I Four Horsemen – $2,500

Air Force I Four Horsemen

Nike designed this shoe especially for LeBron James during the 2004 ESPY Awards. Less than 12 pairs were made.

Top Sports Stories of 2012: From the rise of Linsanity to the fall of Lance Armstrong we count down the biggest stories of the year

The Jerry Sandusky Scandal

Matt Rourke

Top sports stories of 2012: 1. The Jerry Sandusky Scandal

It was the scandal that shocked and horrified the nation. Jerry Sandusky, the long-time defensive coordinator under the legendary Joe Paterno at proud Penn State, is found guilty of 45 counts of sexual abuse of minors. Sandusky, who used his youth charity Second Mile to hand-pick his victims, will spend the rest of his life behind bars. The resulting scandal led to Paterno’s firing (JoePa died in January from lung cancer), and crippling sanctions against the Nittany Lions football program for turning a blind eye to the abuse.

The King gets a ring

RHONA WISE/EPA

Top sports stories of 2012: 2. The King gets a ring

Nobody received more scrutiny than LeBron James before the 2012 season – and perhaps no one is more celebrated for getting the monkey off his back than the King. In a lockout shortened season, James played at a ridiculously high level through 66 games and all through the playoffs, bouncing his nemesis Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals and taking down Kevin Durant – his likely rival for years to come – in the NBA Finals. After all the All-Star Games and MVP award, King James finally earned the jewelry to fit his nickname.

Linsanity

ANDREW GOMBERT/EPA

Top sports stories of 2012: 3. Linsanity!

No single player across any sport owned 2012 more – or for a shorter time – than Jeremy Lin. The Harvard grad is the ultimate underdog story. Undrafted out of college, Lin was sleeping on teammate Landry Field’s couch. His journey and a pun-able last name (check the DN back pages, why don’t you) led to a media frenzy when the struggling Knicks finally gave him a shot. A memorable 38-point performance against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, game-winning shots left and right and overall enthusiasm in resurrecting the downtrodden Knicks endears him to fans and the media alike. We will all remember where we were when ‘Linsanity’ hit.

NFL’s uses replacement refs

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Top sports stories of 2012: 4. NFL’s uses replacement refs

Come NFL playoff time, if the Seahawks get in or get a home game and the Packers are left out or have to travel, everyone will point to the Sept. 24 game between Green Bay and Seattle. That’s because replacement officials called what appeared to be a clear game-ending interception by Green Bay into a game-winning touchdown for Golden Tate and the Seahawks. The NFL used replacement officials as it locked out its refs to start the 2012 season. After Seattle won 14-12 – which gave us the lasting image of one replacement ref signaling TD and one right next to him signaling an INT – the NFL reaches an agreeement with the real zebras.

Top sports stories of 2012: 5. BountyGate scandal in New Orleans

Sean Payton and Gregg Williams were above reproach before 2012, but that’s when the details of what became known as ‘BountyGate’ came out. A full-on investigation by the NFL revealed details of what the league said was players paying teammates for injuring opponents. At the center of it all is a playoff game against the Vikings and Brett Favre, of which the future Hall of Fame QB was knocked out. The findings from the league resulted in a year ban for Saints head coach Payton and GM Mickey Loomis and an indefinite ban for Williams, the Saints defensive coordinator. Players fought and appealed and battled and Jonathan Vilma, whose alleged money was on the table, is back on the field.

Top sports stories of 2012: 6. Lance Armstrong’s fall from grace

If there were any supporters of Lance Armstrong left in 2012, it seems they must have deserted him by now. The cyclist abandoned his fight against doping chargers, which resulted in a lifetime ban from cycling (and loss of seven Tour de France titles). In perhaps the biggest and final insult, Armstrong’s foundation, Livestrong, drops his name and all association with the disgraced cyclist.

Top sports stories of 2012: 7. Phelps swims into Olympic history

Michael Phelps takes his place among the all-time greats with his 18th gold medal – 22 total in his careeer – at the London Olympics. He indicates he won’t be back for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio De Janeiro, but whispers have begun that we may not have seen the last of him.

Top sports stories of 2012: 8. Super Giants pluck Pats… again!

Eli Manning and the Giants survive a thriller to beat the favored Patriots in the Super Bowl – no this isn’t 2007. The Giants did it again in February of 2012, besting Belichick’s Brady Bunch again in Super Bowl XLVII.

Top sports stories of 2012: 9. The rise and fall of Tebow

So your 23-year-old quarterback comes off the bench, breathes life into your franchise and leads you to a playoff victory by torching the Steelers with a long touchdown pass in overtime to win. So of course you give him away for a couple of draft picks, right? Doesn’t seem to make sense, but not much does in the world of Tim Tebow. The undisputed king of the 2011-12 season is banished to the Jets, where is forced to backup Mark Sanchez and play personal punt protector. His lack of playing time gets him to ask Gang Green for a trade or release, and Jets brass seems like they will oblige. The only certainty for Tebow seems to be uncertainty.

Top sports stories of 2012: 10. Mets finally get no-no in year of pitcher

It was the year of the pitcher – three perfect games happened in 2012, one each from the Giants’ Matt Cain, the White Sox Phil Humber and Mariners ace Felix Hernandez – so it was no surprise the Mets finally broke their no-hitter hex. On June 1, the lefty tossed the first no-no in the franchise’s 50-year history (even though he got a little help from the umpires, but we’ll let that slide).

This is equivalent to eating 4.8kg of egg-fried rice, or 42 bananas, or 23 and a half hamburgers. Or you could think of it as eating three 300g chicken korma curries, three 300g chicken tikka curries, three naan breads and 24 onion bhajis.

That is also the same amount that a Tour de France cyclist needs to sustain a day’s racing, professional athletes consume to propel them through a day’s training, Royal Marines need to fuel their missions, and Arctic explorers demand to endure a day on the ice.

For those of us less inclined to extreme endurance and more comfortable with staying indoors, there is little chance we will be burning 6,000 calories on Christmas day.

But there are ways to do things a little bit more healthily.

Christmas dinner itself easily fits in to the recommended calorific intake for a day, says Sian Porter, consultant dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association.

In fact it contains 956 calories, and 48g fat, she says. The guideline daily calorie count is 2,500 for men and 2,000 for women.

But it’s not just Christmas dinner that we indulge in.

“Six thousand calories over the day includes smoked salmon and eggs for breakfast, buck’s fizz and wine and other drinks, liqueurs, also Christmas cake, mince pies, cheese and biscuits, cold nibbles, snacks, crisps, nuts and an open box of chocolates,” she says.

You know what will happen if you eat an extra 500 calories a day in December…

Is that so bad?

“Some people can rebalance that quickly and easily,” she says.

“But some people have already kicked off indulging in early December and go through until 2nd January, which can mean they gain around 5lb,” she says.

This is by eating an average extra 500 calories per day.

To burn off Christmas day’s calories alone you might need to do at least seven hours of hard exercise such as cycling. But keeping moderate exercise up before and after Christmas can help stop you putting on weight.

Do not skip meals and try to eat regularly to avoid overeating in one big meal, says the English Institute of Sport’s performance nutritionist Emma Gardner.

It can lead to excessive hunger and poor choices, she says.

“Ensure you have a good breakfast before going to Christmas dinners/buffets so you don’t arrive hungry – Christmas gatherings are filled with tempting treats, which you are likely to snack on if you arrive hungry.

“Add a protein source at breakfast, which will also help to fill you.”

Sian Porter says adapting old favourites also works a treat.

“If you flip the lid off a mince pie, which is 250 calories before adding cream or brandy butter, you can save calories there, or swap unhealthy snacks for satsumas, nuts, dates or other fruit,” she says.

“Pile up your plate with fruit and veg, and do things a bit smarter – on the day make gravy from vegetable water and only open one box of chocolates at a time.”

Emma says: “Whether at a buffet or a Christmas dinner base your meals around lean protein options and vegetables or salad.

“If you want to go that extra step, try dry-roasting potatoes on a non-stick baking sheet or use an oil spray instead of smothering them in goose fat.”

There are plenty of easy calorie-savers, such as not eating turkey skin or avoiding putting butter on vegetables.

Eat vegetable crudites or popcorn, provided it’s without butter or sugar, for low-calorie alternatives to crisps.

Talking about the sports all around the world, there are thousands of sports with varying popularity in different countries. Sports like Basketball and American football in are most popular in America, Cricket in India, Australia and soccer in UK. Some of sports are local and some are global. The top sports that have dominated in terms of popularity around the world are football, cricket, tennis and others. So the top ten sports are:

Top 10 sports in the world

1: Soccer

Soccer

Among all the globular sports named as the King of Sports football is the most popular sports in the world.Especially its popularity is high in Europe,Asia,Africa and South America.With around 5 billion viewers around the world Soccer is the highest viewed most popular and top sport among the top 10 sports in world.

2: Cricket

Cricket

After football the sports after which peoples are more crazy is cricket undoubtly. Especially in Australia, England, Africa, West Indies, Pakistan and India craze of cricket is very high. Players like Sachin Tendulkar have expanded the popularity of cricket with their huge contribution. With around 4 billion fans around the world cricket is the second popular game among top sports after football.

3:Tennis

Tennis

Tennis is another famous sport in the recent world. The prestigious tournaments like wimbledon, Australian open, French open, Shanghais Open and many others. The great players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Djokovic, and William Sisters are the icon for tennis. With around 2 billion viewers around the world it is 3rd most popular sport in world after cricket and football.

4 : Hockey

Mainly famous in European, Asian and Australian Countries Hockey is the fourth most popular sport in the world with around a billion fans over the world. There are many formats in hockey played like ice hickey, air hockey and field hockey. It is played between two team consisting 11 players each.
5 : Volleyball

Volleyball is the game played between two teams separated by a net with 6 players in each team. It is famous all over the world.With about 800 million viewers all over the world volleyball is 5th most wanted sport in the world.

6 : Golf

Golf is the longest of all the sports in world.It is played by individual players which includes spotting the ball into the hole by the golf bat.Players like Tiger Woods has expanded its glory all over the world.With around 600 million viewers it is ranked as the 6th most popular game in the world.

7 : American Football

American football is the game played between two teams with 11 players each team.It is mainly popular in U.S.A and other American countries. With around 400 million fans around the globe it the 7th highest most popular sport in the world.

8 : Basketball

Basketball is on the rapid increasing in terms of popularity. Especially among the teenagers of world its the most wanted game. Basketball is also a game between two teams with 5 players playing in court. It is most popular especially in American countries.With around 350 million viewers and fans it is the 8th among the most popular sports.

9 : Table Tennis

Table Tennis named as TT is the game played between two player in the tennis board with net between two players.It is world widely most famous especially among the youths and school students. With around 300 million total viewers and fans it is the 9th most wanted game of the world.

10 : Baseball

Baseball is also one of the most popular games played around the corners of world.It is also the game played between two teams consisting nine players each.It mostly popular in America and Japan.With more than 200 million fans around the world baseball is 10th among the list of most popular games played all around the the world.

1.Spinning and elliptical trainer

Spinning on a stationary bicycle and exercising on an elliptical trainer both offer the highest calorie burning benefits. A 260-pound person will burn 1,342 calories an hour. The average male or any person weighing 190 pounds will burn 980 calories in 60 minutes, and the average female weighing 163 pounds will burn 841.

Downhill and cross country skiing is an excellent winter sport that burns fat while one has fun. Someone who weighs 260 pounds will burn 1,030-1,342 calories an hour. The average male will burn 752-980 calories skiing, and the average female will burn 645-841. A ski machine comes in close, and the average man will burn 832 calories, while the ordinary women will melt away 714 calories.

3.Basketball (full court)

Full court basketball is a fun sport that will help one to lose or maintain weight. When wanting to hang out with friends and work together, basketball is a great, calorie blasting sport. The person who weighs 260 pounds will burn 1,295 calories for each hour they participate. The ordinary man will shred 946 calories, while the average women will melt away 812.

4.Rock climbing

Indoor and outdoor rock climbing offer a healthy adventure. Again, a 260-pound person can easily burn 1,295 calories an hour while enjoying this sport. Men, you will burn 946 calories, and women you will burn 812.

5.Soccer

Competitive soccer is another sport that involves team work and constant motion. Those who weigh 260 pounds will burn 1,186 calories per hour. Males can enjoy this sport while burning 866 calories each hour. Females will ignite their metabolism and annihilate 743 calories.

6.Running

Running at a speed of 6 mph will allow a 260-pound person to burn 1,186 calories every hour. Men who run 6 mph will burn 866 calories, and women will burn 743. Keep in mind that the faster you run, the more you burn.

7.Rope jumping

Rope jumping is hard work, but it offers high calorie burning benefits. The same 260-pound person will blast away 1,186 calories after jumping rope for an hour. Males who participate in this high intensity workout will burn 866 calories per hour, and females will burn 743.

8.Swimming

Swimming is a great sport that works the entire body in the water. Burning 1,154 calories in 60 minutes will happen without breaking a sweat for those who weigh 260 pounds. The average weighing man will scorch 844 calories when swimming, while the average woman will melt away 724.

9.Skating

Rather you choose to go rollerskating or rollerblading, you will be burning butter. For those who weigh 260 pounds, 1,076 calories will be shed each hour. Men, put on your skates and prepare to annihilate 787 calories each hour. Women, prepare to have fun while burning away 675 calories. Oddly enough, women (or those who weigh less) will burn more calories skating than swimming, whereas, men (or those who weigh more) appear to burn more swimming.

10.Vinyasa yoga

Vinyasa yoga is a type that involves breathing in synchronization to each movement. Yoga is my favorite exercise of all 10 listed, and vinyasa yoga will subtract 1,030 calories each hour from a 260-pound person. Men, pick up your yoga mat and burn 752 calories in just an hour. Women, join me by participating in my favorite form of exercise and burn 645 calories for every 60 minutes.